Dirty Pool Podcast - Ep35 - Mike Vinikour | Designing Modern Pinball Rules
Dirtypool Pinball - PODCAST - An Exploration Of The Pinball IndustryShow Notes
▶ Full Dirty Pool Podcast Playlisthttps://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLS9lWVjGsygallsiz2_TJ_oxIlhl29fLC&si=iLC8oBnZfl_U7pJjMike Vinikour (MXV) has had one of the more unusual careers in pinball. From testing games at Williams/Bally Midway during the arcade era, to competitive Mortal Kombat, to helping shape modern Stern Pinball software and rules, he's been involved with games from several different angles.In Episode 35 of the Dirty Pool Podcast, we'll be talking about Mike's path through the game industry, how rule design has evolved, balancing depth with accessibility, software testing, field testing, working with designers, the realities of developing modern Stern machines, and plenty of stories from both the arcade and pinball worlds. We'll also get into his photography, massive vinyl collection, and whatever unexpected rabbit holes the conversation decides to find.🔺 Praise the Great Pyramid:📡 Twitch https://twitch.tv/dirtypoolpinball📺 YouTube https://youtube.com/@dirtypoolpinball📷 Instagram https://instagram.com/dirtypoolpinball📘 Facebook https://facebook.com/dirtypoolpinball👕 Apparel https://www.dirtypoolpinball.com00:00:00 - Intro00:01:12 - Mike’s Record Collection00:02:50 - Why Vinyl Matters00:06:45 - Guessing the Record Count00:08:44 - 16,000 Records00:09:32 - Choosing What to Play00:13:28 - Mortal Kombat Begins00:16:36 - 105 Wins in MK200:18:10 - Meeting Midway at a Punk Show00:20:16 - Revolution X and Game Testing00:21:20 - Helping Build Midway QA00:22:50 - The Punk Vault00:23:40 - Photography and Punk Zines00:26:53 - Favorite and Worst Shows to Shoot00:29:18 - Getting to Stern00:30:00 - Growing Up With Pinball00:31:14 - Lyman Sheets Pushed for Mike00:32:30 - George Gomez and Stern00:34:08 - Working With Lyman on Batman 6600:37:18 - James Bond and John Wick00:38:26 - The “Saved the Game” Misunderstanding00:40:48 - Rule Design Without Programming00:42:10 - Earning Trust at Stern00:43:18 - Working With Dwight Sullivan00:46:00 - The MXV Skill Shot00:48:23 - Secret Skill Shots and Mortal Kombat00:49:40 - NDAs and Keeping Secrets00:52:00 - Keith Elwin Made It a Thing00:52:33 - Godzilla as Mike’s Favorite Game00:54:10 - When a Rule Fails00:55:28 - The Game Tells You00:56:45 - Working With Lonnie Ropp00:59:10 - Are Modern Rules Too Complex?01:00:16 - Designing for New and Expert Players01:01:10 - Risk and Reward01:03:31 - Multiple Ways to Blow Up a Game01:04:42 - Shot Difficulty in Rule Design01:06:08 - Music Pins Without Being a Jukebox01:08:32 - Dream Theme: Skinny Puppy01:09:48 - Designing Around the Toy01:10:42 - George Gomez’s Creative Brain01:13:07 - Mike’s Basement Collection01:15:08 - Work-Life Balance With Pinball01:15:48 - The Raven Question01:18:10 - Expo, Portland, and Shows01:20:32 - Top Punk Albums01:21:35 - Punk Rock Pinball Shoutout01:24:00 - Raid and Praise the Great Pyramid01:25:10 - Outro#pinball #sternpinball #dirtypoolpodcast #podcast #arcade
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